Beginings In Las Noches
by Purpleplum911
Summary: Ichigo started out trying to save Orihime from Lord Aizen in Hueco Mundo but now it appears he could use some saving himself.Will anyone help him and if they do will they be able to accept the consequences of his stay in Las Noches?Warning Mpreg and more!
1. I'M A MAN!

I am almost ready to wrap up my other story, "A Little Part of Me ", so I thought I would be a good idea to get started on another story so when I'm done I can move on to the next one ASAP. This one is still going to be an mpreg but I'm not going to use as many charaters in this one since in the other story there were like 18 people I used!

* * *

Sosuke Aizen, a former soul reaper has begun creating creatures called Arrancar in order to send them to the world of the living to gain information on me (Ichigo Kurosaki) and Later he had them kidnap our friend Orihime. He's taken some interest in her due to her Healing abilities but so far we have been unable to figure out why this would be but it may have to do with whatever plans he has in store for the Hogyoku.

Either way Orihime is our friend and we have to rescue her no matter the cost. So me, Chad, and Uryu left to find her somewhere in Hueco Mundo. Renji and Rukia meet up with us not long after we arrived in the strange world of sand and never ending night but we bumped into four others we didn't exactly plan on finding here too.

Nel is a little girl wearing green rags and a cartoonish skull on her head we found playing a game she and her so-called hollow brothers and pet called forever tag in the middle of the vast landscape. Nel for some reason always speaks in third person saying things like "Nel thinks she saw something over there " and can't say my name right, instead of Ichigo it comes out as Itsygo. I think she has a lisp or something but she helped guide us through Las Noches even though she and her brothers thought we were _bad guys_ because of the fact we were a human, three soul reapers and a Quincy.

Turns out she was pretty useful because she has the ability to swallow cero attacks and fire them back and even though it's one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen she can use her spit as a healing agent. All of that is easy for me to remember but now I don't even have a clue about where in the hell I am. I can tell I got into some sort of fight because my body feels like someone tossed me into a meat grinder but its weird because someone has already bandaged my wounds.

The only one that's not covered is a long line of stitches that goes from about an inch above my belly button down almost to my crouch but worst of all is it's all wet and slimy. This room is nicer than I would have expected for me being held captive with the nice bed I'm laying on and a couch. It even has a nice window that looks out onto the ominous glow of the moon you always saw in this place which helped me conclude I was still in Las Noches but I still don't know anything else about this place. And I'm the only one here so what happened to the others?

Just then he could see a head of light green hair moving around under neath the covers beside him. "I can't believe I'm actually happy to see you Nel but I sure am. What happened to everyone else?" he removed the blankets but what he saw wasn't the small girl that had become attached to him like a leech instead it was a woman.

"Nel?" She looked similar to Nel with the same colored hair and scar spreading from her forehead to her nose along with a crimson line stretching across her face right below her eyes. But this woman well…resembled Matsumoto in the chest area and her hair went all the way down her back

" Itsygo you woke up! Nel was sure they hurt you too bad for Nel's healing vomit to help! But look your all better and now Nel doesn't have to be alone when they come back to kill Nel!" she started hugging me and cutting off my air supply but all I could think about was how she said her _healing vomit _was all over my stomach!

"Gross why in the world would you think that was a good idea!" I started wiping the nasty stuff off of me as soon as I heard that.

"And who are you? Where's Nel? "It was hard saying this with the overwhelming pain I was in but she stopped trying to kill me long enough to explain everything I seemed to have blacked out.

* * *

The two of us had been in this room for more than three days with me lying in this bed not moving which must have given her the idea of slobbering on me, but I do have to give her credit since it did wake me up and I could be feeling worse with out it. She also said different Arrancar monitor me daily so we could expect any one of them to show up soon so she speeds through most of the details of the story. Nel still doesn't know what happened to the group or her brothers Dondochakka or Pesche, but she was with me when I was picked up after using my Hallowfication against Ulquiorra. In her own words she said

"Ulquiorra beat Itsygo's ass "meaning I lost horribly ending up in this condition but in the back of my mind I can't help thinking he didn't do whatever made me have to get stitches, I mean aiming for my belly button and junk is more of a dirty way to fight than I could think to expect from someone as boring as him.

They took her away to this room and made her change back into her original form to wait for me to return about ten or twelve hours later when they brought me here. Lord Aizen had even given her permission to stay by my side personally. She moved to the door leading outside pushing her ear against it to hear if anyone was out there giving me a good view of her back for the first time allowing me to see that there was a large tattoo of a number three.

Why if she was an Espada did they leave her in the desert with two weird hallows? She's number three making her the third strongest Arrancar Aizen has to battle with and he's leaving her with me, I wonder if he's had this all planned out from the moment we got here?

Sending Nel to act innocent and lead us into Las Noches knowing what was ahead and setting me up to fight with Ulquiorra. Looking at her made me change my mind the intense concern about my welfare on her face as she concentrated on the sounds outside the door surely wasn't an act. Maybe he got ride of her because of her personality because after all she's not very fierce and I think you could describe her as pacifistic.

"Somebody's coming!" She ran back and jumped into the bed with me like she was still the kid I though she was as a woman with shoulder length pink hair made her way inside and without acknowledging either of us directed two others to plop me onto a stretcher to transfer me to room one-hundred and twenty as she wrote on a clip board. Having no strength at all I could only protest as I was pricked with a long needle and slipped into an unwanted sleep.

I heard her tell Nel she should put on some less provocative clothes and wear her uniform before closing the door then my eyesight got blurry. The familiar smell of hospital cleaning supplies surrounded me and I touched my arms to find tubes and wires hooking me to a machine.

"Look our little experiment it concise again" it was the same pink haired woman from before wearing a medical mask and scrubs changing dials on the machine.

"You better tell me what your up to right now I'm not afraid to beat the crap out of a girl if I ha..SHIT!" I had leaned forward to get into her face but a searing heat shot up my abdomen as I did it making me curse in pain. I could see they had done something else to where I had stitches because there were a few new ones and it was wider now.

"WOMAN WHAT DO YOU MEAN A FREAKING WOMAN IM A MAN!" turns out who I though was just an ugly woman was flamboyant guy. Good thing too because I had been under the impression most of the female Espada were at least descent looking and if this guy turned out to be one he would have ruined that. He cupped my face in a one of his gloved hands and told me in a sadistic sort of whisper

"This will be unbelievably fun watching you squirm in agony"

He was close enough that I could have punched him in the face but I had to concentrate on not showing how much pain I was in. The burning was getting worse and was actually making me sweat, bitting my tounge was all I could do to keep myself from was the right word to use right now if only the bastard would tell me why this was happening instead of perversely stroking my face.

* * *

i got a comment before saying that the way my paragraphs were all close together made it hard to read so i tried spacing this one out a little bit so everyone can see and just tell me if its still hard to read and i'll fix it for you.

Thanks for reading and please comment!:O


	2. You dont know what they'er doing to you

This is a short chapter but i think it's ok for now i will try end "A little Part of Me" but it might take a while because i have a whole lot of school work i should be doing instead of writtindg stories. Sorry if there are some spelling mistakes i missed but i was trying to make this ". The pink haired man had introduced himself as Szayel Aporro Granz but Ichigo had gotten into the habit of calling doctor from the fact the

* * *

You don't understand what they're doing to you do you?

In the next two weeks Ichigo was in the makeshift hospital he had gathered some basic knowledge about what he described as his "pervy pretend doctor" The pink haired man had introduced himself as Szayel Aporro Granz but Ichigo had gotten into the habit of calling doctor from the fact the pleasure it gave Szayel made him have some restraint in his poking and prodding of Ichigo's body.

His hollow mask took the form of rectangular-framed glasses adding to his intellectual appearance, he was presise in all of his actions and notes giving reason for why the scientific Arrancar had been given the assignment of playing doctor.

The same day Szayel wheeled Ichigo here on his stretcher he had order for Orihime to come heal the patient because as he said "The brat keeps trying to act tough getting in my face and bust his stitches to much for me to get any work done! This is getting in the way of my research so bring the girl here to shut him up!"

Orihime looked well and was escorted by Ulquiorra who was at the bottom of the list of people Ichigo could stand having to deal with being around but Ulquiorra stayed near the entrance to whisper about the progress of Aizen little experiment with Szayel.

"Orihime why won't you say anything to me?" I had asked her how she was and whether or not she knew why I had been brought here but she ignored me as she used Sōten Kisshun and slowly moved the oval barrier over my body. I've benefited more than what seems to be a hundred times from Orihime's healing abilities.

When it's active the barrier repels all negative events no matter how sever or if it happens to be a living thing or an inanimate object. Her technique works by reversing time and space like a time machine around the damaged area making it where you would never be able to tell it was ever damaged to start with. The Soul Society has made the assumption that this is why Aizen has taken an interest in her because she is literally violating the rules and realms of space and time.

But to me it's just a good advantage to have in battle and nothing more because Orihime is more important as a person than what she has the ability to do as a weapon.

In my opinion she is naïve and rather clueless making it a surprise that she actually does better in school than most of every one in our class but it's easy to over look that when she is as kind and sensitive as she is. Unlike the other guys at school (and one girl) who are deeply in love with for her comically large breast and adorable overactive imagination I have never quite felt that way toward her like that. Instead because her brother died while we were in middle school I think Tatsuki and I took his place making her more of my third little sister instead of a sexual interest.

"Ichigo I'm sorry I know I should be happy or something that I can finally see you after all this time…but I just …cant" from my view laying flat on the medical table I mostly had a view of her chest but as she finished and sat besides me I could see tears filling the brims of her large eyes.

Sitting up the burning feeling in my stomach turned into an annoying tingling as I patted her on the back. "It's not your fault were here it's mine but I swear I'm going to get us out soon" she shook her head.

"Ichigo you don't understand what they're doing to you do you? If we ever get out of this awful place things can't be the same! They are using us and making you into their guinea pig!" Watching the two of us from the doorway Ulquiorra and Pinky saw that she was about to spill the beans and rushed her away before we could even say good-bye.

* * *

I didn't see her again in except when I caught a glimpse of her from a window across the court yard outside my hospital window. She waved and I could see her hair clips glisten in the moon light. I've been increasingly lonely even though now I can walk around and explore but I don't do much of that because my stomachs been acting up and making breathing a struggle. It's not always that way but once it hits afternoon I feel like crap. I throw-up to the point where you would think I was on a vacation in the bathroom I was in there so long and my scar which is about an inch and a half wide now is right over where most of my pain is.

I decided to touch it one day and nearly started hysterically crying it hurt so badly. What makes all of this unbearable though is how much enjoyment that stupid perv I have to call my doctor gets from all of this.

At the end of Ichigo's two week stay Szayel had given enough reliable evidence to Lord Aizen to permit Ichigo to go back to his room with Nel.

"Well my Strawberry it's time to get your ass out of here and back to your room. I'll be returning there to give you a look over in exactly one month in order to make sure my operations have taken the right effect. Remember to drink lots of water and rest and take these pills."

In his extended gloved hand he help out a bag filled with numerous pills of all shapes and colors "I labeled them with the amounts you should take and how many times a day you should take each. Take some while I make some notes then I'll take you back."

I went in the bathroom and shoved the correct dosages of each into my mouth then washed them down with water from the sink. When I was almost done he handed me some new clothes that looked like they came from my closet at home. I had been wearing my soul reaper uniform pants without a shirt my entire time in the hospital pulse while I was knocked out in my room.

Thinking of that I could use a shower I can't think of the last time I washed up so I must smell pretty terrible.

Surprisingly when Szayel and Ichigo made it back the room looked completely different. All of his furniture from home had been brought in. His bed, desk, pictures and other furniture were set up specifically to look like home "Itsygo!" Nel jumped up and gave him a gentle hug restraining herself from doing her usual death strangle.

"Nel went to your house and fixed the room up for you! Nel likes this talking box the most." She was talking about the TV that was suppose to be in the families living room that was on the food channel showing how to make a special winter time dinner for your loved ones.

"Uh thanks Nel that was thoughtful of you but you do know some of these things aren't mine" Ichigo meant the stuffed animals and perfume bottles that belonged to his younger sister Yuzu and the clothes peeking out from the closet. A few of his jeans and tennis shoes were inside but he could tell a lot were dresses and outfits that were to big for Rukia when she was living in his closet and he wouldn't let her wear Karin or Yuzu's clothes any longer.

"Yeah but Szayel said Nel needed to change Nel's clothes so Nel borrowed some. "She did a little twirl to show off the white sun dress she found "And the other stuff was just cool."

* * *

I got inside and took a shower .The hot water felt good on my skin as the water going down the drain was nasty dirt brown. Dame I really needed a shower. When I got out and wrapped a towel around my waist I could smell popcorn coming in through the door to the bathroom I left cracked so the room wouldn't get steamy. And usually I'm really fond of popcorn so I wouldn't have minded Nel decided it was a good idea to _borrow _our microwave to. But because it was that time of day again I had to throw up when that first scent of buttery, salty kernels reached my nose.

Nel poked her head in to check on me but I locked the door after shoving her out with one hand and the other clinging to the bowl. I hadn't eaten anything aside from the medicine I had to take earlier so I was finished in a couple minutes and brushed me teeth to get the acidy taste from my mouth. What the hell did these people do to me? And what did Orihime mean when she said I was being used like a guinea pig?

Ichigo put one hand lightly over his scared stomach and saw he was bloated. Not where it was noticeable to any one other than him but enough where there was a tiny bump. Then he heard the sound of Nel starting the microwave this time it smelt like left overs from the refrigerator at home and flung himself at the toilet bowl after yelling out" DAMMIT NEL STOP COOKING !"


	3. Cherry Blossoms and Bad Days

A month would be coming to an end tomorrow meaning Szayel would be coming to conduct his next examination and Ichigo was counting the hours till he saw the pink haired Arrancar bastard who he had a list of questions for.

He still hadn't been told what had happened to Rukia and the others or what they had done to him. A whole month has almost gone by and not a single word has been said about any of the questions he demands answers for ; but as of the moment he had to know what was going on with his own body that he had lost control of.

The vomiting had gone from just in the afternoon to being every fifteen or twenty minutes to the point where he hardly saw the reason in eating anything at all. It was starting to scare him. And the bloating he had noticed weeks ago had steadily been getting worse and reminded him of the time he had a food allergy reaction on a field trip to something that had strawberries mixed into it.

Ichigo and Renji had gotten into a contest of who could eat the most of the dessert at a booth while on the trip to a food fair of upcoming restaurants displaying their latest creations in hopes of drawing in new customers. It's ironic that his name means strawberry and strawberries are the only thing he's extremely allergic to but on about the seventeenth cup of swirly sweet goodness the class was heading back to school and his stomach started rumbling and distended so much Renji took a picture to show him after he got home from the hospital.

"This has got to be the funniest picture any one of us will ever see of you! I sent it to everyone already!" Renji held up his cell phone to show the picture of Ichigo on the bus with the belly of a woman who was three of four months pregnant.

The whole time Renji laughed so hard his crimson red hair in his high ponytail shook around like a cheerleader's pom pom only being held back by his white headband.

I miss that crazy idiot; his cocky attitude sure would liven up being in this dull room all the time. We could be eating Chad's special homemade taiyaki (He is a great cook) with Orihime and Rukia while we copied Uryu's math homework at my house.

Instead me and Orihime are locked away and the rest of our friends could be god knows where. And Dad, Yuzu and Karin are probably worried about me, I've never been gone this long before.

"Itsygo why do you have that look on your face? Does your stomach hurt again?" I guess I zoned out and was making an unhappy expression

"Naw I was just thinking about some stuff that's all." Nel was wearing one of my red t-shirts and a skirt while sitting on the small couch across from the bed going through a photo album she had brought back to give me some comfort ; allowing me to see all the people I was cut off from and remember all the good times we have had.

She came over and made me make room for her on the bed asking about every event till I was painting the story behind every picture. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. She might have an adult person's body now but she is still the eccentric little girl I found out in the desert and as she slipped her arm underneath mine cuddling closer to me I couldn't help thinking she was sort a cute.

Smelling like cherry blossoms, because of one of the perfumes from my sister, gave off a soft scent that was wonderful on her. It is really the only smell I can stand without puking. As her legs that are long and smooth rubbed against my jeans and her body heat warmed my side I felt more comfortable and could drift into a peaceful sleep.

Along with my only companion in my tiny twin bed I dreamed of being home with my friends and family eating taiyaki under a cherry blossom tree with Nel holding onto me the way she is right now.

* * *

Szayel came the next day bright and early. letting himself in unannounced he told Nel to leave and take watch over the human girl by which he meant Orihime. Apparently Ulquiorra had been given a mission with Grimmjow and Aizen had no one else he trusted to look over her. So after changing into her Arrancar uniform she awkwardly left the room not wanting to leave Ichigo behind and once Nel was out of ear shot Ichigo started with his list of questions and Szayel smiled making Ichigo wonder if he really wanted answers anymore.

"To being with your little buddies were sent back the second they ran into their opponents along with those pathetic hallows. But to set your mind at ease they still were breathing when they left Las Noches…more or less."

Szayel gave a giggle and had a larger smile spread across his face writing notes as he did so "But don't get your hopes up about any of them coming back here to save you and the girl, we put up a special barrier between the world of the living, the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo and by the time they figure out a way through, if they ever do, I'm sure you wont want to leave with them."

Ichigo made a puzzled look showing how completely lost he was by this comment "Uhh and that would be because …?" Szayel stopped writing

"Take a guess moron. You have two younger siblings so you must have seen your symptoms before" Ichigo still looked like someone just asked him to balance a chemical equation "So I have …the umm…stomach flu?"

Szayel tapped him hard in the head with his clip board "I thought you would be a lot smarter than this but my god are you dumb!

To make it easier on the both of us and so I don't have to deal with you anymore I'll just have the girl come and explain things." He left some more medicine for Ichigo to take and instructed a lower level Arroncar to instruct Nel to bring Orihime to the courtyard outside where Ichigo would be waiting for them.

Ichigo had left on his own to the courtyard. It was large and deathly quite but was more serine than anywhere else, patches of thriving flowers and grass nestled in the sand besides boulders and shriveled trees with dried leaves that lost their color ages ago. What he liked the most was the view of the never ending white desert Of Hueco Mundo in the distance and if he felt well enough to come out at night when it was the darkest the moon would make creative shadows on the sand dunes littered with their own boulders and forgotten trees.

He sat underneath the largest tree and watch Nel and Orihime walk down a pair of stairs toward him noticing Nel had her head down like a punished child behind Orihime who was going at a faster pace than Nel. Orihime sat on her knees and held him tight as Nel stood a few feet away arms crossed over her chest and back turned to the both of them.

"Ichigo I'm so sorry. I am so very sorry for you." she squeezed him a little tighter the way he had back in middle school when her brother had died.

"Aizen is using us like tools to be able to set his plans in motion, I don't know what he wants from me but he needed you to create something he could us against the Soul Society. When he is ready to use the Hogyoku he needs something that has powers stronger than soul reapers, hallows or even his Espada."

Being as upset as she was she did her best to keep her voice calm and light feeling a lump in her throat and the lump of Ichigo's stomach between them.

" You're a soul reaper who has an endless amount of spiritual pressure and that of a Vizard so he erased Nel's memories and placed her where he calculated you and everyone would be when you came to save me to have her guide you here to give him the opportunity to mix your genes with an Espada. Aizen had Szayel do those surgeries on you so you …could carry the baby he needs to use the Hogyoku."

* * *

The entire time Orihime was speaking to me ,holding me tight against her my hair was standing on edge and my heart skipped a beat when I finally put the pieces together. Aizen made me into an abomination by making me into a pregnant freak with a mutant in my belly. And now I also understood why Nel wouldn't look at me, Orihime must have told her what she had done.

I could see Nel's light green hair sway as she inhaled and exhaled and felt infuriated at her and for no reason at Orihime so I pulled away from Orihime's grasp and walked back to my room giving Nel a dirty look I knew would hurt her as I pasted.

"Nel only wanted to help Itsygo, Nel really did. Never ever would Nel purposely cause you pain" her head ways held low and her face was shielded by her Arrancar mask but I could tell she was on the verge of crying but I didn't care.

"To bad you did by helping ruin my life. I can't go home now ever because I'm a man that is pregnant with a monster all because YOU practically handed me on a silver platter to a man that wants to kill hundreds of people! So thanks, thank you so very much." I said this with venom dripping in each word then continued my exit listening to her silently call my name and saying "Ichigo" for the first time.

Ichigo went back to his room and didn't know what to do with him other than to cry like he did growing up. He wanted his dad or his mom but neither of them were there to do their parental duty and tell him he would live through this. His mom had pasted away and his dad was back home.

He stayed that way, sitting on the edge of his bed staring down at himself imaging how much worse this all would be in a few more months. Back when Karin and Yuzu were about to be born he could remember how his mother glowed with a radiant light pregnant woman had and how it was the coolest thing to him when she let him feel her stomach.

Her name was Masaki and she was the most beautiful person with the same vivid orange hair but that she was more suited for and more than he had in all of the years she had been dead he had never longed for her to be with him more.

Thinking about how long he had been in Las Noches he had to be nearly three months pregnant or a little more with out even suspecting. Not that it ever occurred to him that would be a possibility.

The way he saw his life going was that he would graduate high school and college and have fate guide him where ever he was meant to go. For a family he always thought it might be nice to bring the girl he wanted to marry home to his family and have someone that didn't mind his hot-headed temper or impulsiveness but as far as kids he hadn't thought that far. Kids liked him and it was fun to play with them and to watch them grow and developed into their own expressive personalities but he just never saw himself as a parent and he didn't want to deal with the other symptoms of pregnancy he watched his mom suffer through.

The morning sickness was bad enough but even though his mom was beautiful no matter what she got to be huge and he liked being a slim one hundred and thirty five pounds. On his almost six foot frame it made him muscular and athletic. How was he going to fight with a beer belly? And he knew that's how it would look because his mom started out smaller than he was then ballooned to someone twice her size and with him being a man he could only think he would get three or four times as big. Adding that to : soreness, lack of sleep, cravings for things only Orihime would dare to eat, head aches ,mood swings that would go from depressed to angry , and the last result of another living being coming from inside you.

He took off his shirt to look with new eyes at what he before thought was just a bloated stomach. It was rounded and stuck out like he ate a huge meal still covered by his scare. He touched it and it was hard like a rock and smooth like he remembered his mom's was, stretched and elegant, but to him it was disgusting. Feeling the urge to use the bathroom suddenly made it final.

So there was all the proof laid out before him but all that was left was for him to either accept it or come up with some other option.

* * *

Another chapter up even though i should be doing Goverment homework or something like that. Oh well ! I'll get started on all that tomorrow and thank you to those of you who gave comments and keep it up i love hearing from all of even up to taking request so any ideas i'll happialy accept.

Hope to hear from you guys soon!


	4. Ooops did Nel forget to say that earlier

I m still having my paragraghs and stuff look weird but ill figure out some way to fix that soon.

* * *

A month and a half had gone by since Ichigo had been clued in on his situation and had fallen into a typical routine. Sleep for about an hour or for most ofthe day depending on how he felt, eat something (but not very much lately) and then spend the day with Orihime. Orihime had made it her job to visit Ichigobecause without Nel he was alone.

At first Nel tried to build up the courage to talk to Ichigo but she never got any closer than waiting outside his door forhours not even bothering to knock. But she had stopped coming all together so Orihime started coming bringing food or offering to take a walk with him tothe courtyard. Ulquiorra would watch them from a distance because he was still the guardian of Orihime but gave the two the freedom to go where theywanted whenever they felt like having some different scenery.

All of the times Ichigo was without company though he had to deal with the pregnancy totally on his own which made him a bit depressed. He had never inhis life dealt with something like this. His back hurt and he had to pee all the time but the worst was just seeing himself change so much in what felt like afew days.

His athletic body had dissolved and was replaced with a vulnerable soft one he never desired. Sleeping had become a huge effort too science heonly sleeps on his back but with his own weight crushing him he felt like someone was sitting on his chest as he slept. But recently he had taken the habit ofadjusting himself in his bed and with no one around decided to explore the massive unknown region; sometimes wandering into daydreams of what it wouldbe like if he and Orihime got back to Katakura town with his baby.

What would everyone at home think about him once they saw him? Or how would heexplain the entire story of becoming a substitute soul reaper then all of the events leading to his dad having a highbred granddaughter or grandson?Speaking of which what gender was his baby? If he could be more open with Orihime he could bounce some of these questions off of her but she seemed tohave changed.

She was still the cuddly innocent Orihime he had always known but when he found out about Nel's part in his capture and ultimately gettingimpregnated his hatred for Arrancar had grown and Orihime seemed to be getting close with Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra Cifer, the fourth Espada in Aizen's army that is signified by the number four tattooed on his chest. He had been the one that Ichigo had fought andlost to ending up in Sazyel's cold doctor hands to be experimented on. Ichigo at the time thought someone so slender and despondent looking would be andeasy win but was wrong. Ulquiorra with his messy black hair with a bang falling between his harsh green eyes waited for the perfect opening to strike andended the fight with one fatal blow from his zanpato Murcielago. And as Ichigo lied bleeding and unable to move was told he was

"trash and unworthy ofbeing killed". That memory had come back days after waking up to Nel sleeping beside him in the room he thought would be his home till the day he died.

And this monster who at first seemed to not have any deeper relationship with Ichigo's friend than feeding her or informing her of updates in their plans wasgetting to close in Ichigo's opinion. Ulquiorra seemed rather intrigued with Orihime and gave a more human demeanor in her presence but none of that couldpossible be true. That Ulquiorra and Orihime had developed some loving bond. Or at least that's what he hoped for as he waited for Orihime everyday alonewith his baby and his thoughts of what the future could be holding secret from him.

* * *

~Orihime's POV~

Ichigo was expecting me a while ago but Ulquiorra hasn't come to take me yet. I hope Ichigo's not having his mood swings today because, well his attitudewas bad enough with plain teenage male hormones and lately he can go from a suicidal sadness to being so calm and quite I cant imagine what's goingthrough his mind.

Orihime took her time getting ready, gently placing her long orange-brown hair behind her ears and pinning it with her small blue checked herself in the mirror to see her reflection was accompanied by another with a frowning face and grayish skin

"Hello Ulquiorra "she smiled andwas returned with a nod. She had gotten use to him popping in without making a sound so now it didn't scare her out of her skin the way it had before.

Ulquiorra does not seem to be able to grasp the concept of human emotions so I've never seen him with more than a frown similar to Ichigo's signaturescowl. He claims he doesn't believe in emotions because they are something he can not see so they must not exist. To me that's just analyzing things tomuch and not using your heart but I don't know much about Arrancar so I'm not sure if they have a heart to use. That would explain Ulquiorra behaviorthough; he's cold as ice and the teal lines descending from his eyes that make him appear to be crying may be there because he can't cry himself. At least that's my idea.

"Are you ready for us to meet the soul reaper?" I nodded my head to him and rushed around my room to gather my items for Ichigo.

Orihime's room was thesame as Ichigo's including a twin bed, couch, bathroom, closet and window. Aizen had also had the Arrancar go back to the world of the living to retrieve herstuff from home such as the shrine to her older brother.

Orihime walked side by side with her guardian in the vast hallways leading to her friends' room and glancing up at Ulquiorra she saw he was watchingsomething else. His green eyes with cat like pupils were watching someone stagger drunkenly ahead but placed a muscular arm in front of Orihime forbiddingher to run to be with the woman who she had identified as Nel. Not wanting to disobey she simply looked over her shoulder as they passed and Nelwandered with no particular destination , limping and holding the wall as she went.

" She went poking her nose into Lord Aizen's affairs and was is lucky he allowed her to live after what she tried to do." he said this in the indifferent tone he always used as he took her arm and lead her away notleaving time to consider what to do about Nel.

When Ulquiorra and I were just outside Ichigo's room he let go of my arm and nodded good-bye to me as he always did .I entered the room to find my friendsitting on his small couch watching a movie. I never bothered asking anyone how it's possible our TV's and electronics work here but there are bigger thingsto think about other than why I can watch my Saturday cartoons and listen to the radio in a completely different world.

"Hello Ichigo sorry for being a little late today Ulquiorra must have been caught up in something important." I put my bag down near the bed then sat on thefloor by Ichigo's feet. It didn't feel like the right time to be speaking about what I just saw.

"I don't know how you deal with that guy. Thinks everyone like usis trash but then again that's how all of them think of us isn't it?" Oh great he was in an angry moods .

"Ichigo you know that's not true…not is just thinking the way an Arrancar solider is made to think. Do as Aizen says and die standing your ground to prove Aizen's beliefs. Plus you don'tknow him the way I do. And Nel is a loving girl…she needs forgiveness is all."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and made a face of distaste "You sound like your falling inlove with that monster or something. And as for Nel I don't have to bother talking about her." the ending credits of the movie scrolled across the TV screenas I hide my blushing face from my hormonal friend.

It might be that I haven't seen a human of the opposite sex in months other than a very pregnant Ichigobut I have been having confusing feelings about Ulquiorra.

He treats me well; better than Ichigo thinks he does. I might be caught up in one of my implausible scenarios I cook up sometimes but I can admit to myselfthat I have tinny crush. Last night I even dreamed none of us had any of our strange powers and I was on a date with Ulquiorra. He was smiling at me reallyhard and told me I was beautiful before it got all crazy with him getting into a boxing match with Matsumoto. She crushed him with her chest making her theworld champ and blowing kisses to me in the crowed. Why am I so incredibly weird?

Ulquiorra isn't human but to me he is just shielding himself from the worlds sunlight by thinking everything about it is just more darkness the way things arehere. If he could find the emotions and heart he must have had before he became a hollow and then an Arrancar maybe he could see that. All the goodthings out in the world he's missing out on because he doesn't know how they're supposed to feel. I wish I could help him. If only I knew how. But maybebeing a hopeless dreamer really is hopeless when thinking about him in the loving way I do.

* * *

We waited as another movie started but I was afraid it would make Ichigo flip out into one of his hysterical emotions. It was an American movie about a teenage girl who accidentally got pregnant and what she did over the months leading up to the birth of her baby. We were really quite the whole time not laughing about one of the jokes or talking about how she must have felt; we just sat there the way bunnies do when they are trying to hide and trick you into thinking they are rocks by looking small. But when it ended Ichigo was still quite so I started making us snack and handed him a plate. He just put it on the couch cushion next to him.

"I'm not all that hungry." he tried avoiding my eyes and I could tell something was bothering him.

"What? Your usually starvingby now, did you eat a lot before I got here?" I looked at the pile of food Ulquiorra brings to keep up to Ichigo's hunger but it looks like he hasn't eaten that much the past few days and his shoulders look thinner like he lost weight.

"No I don't really want to eat is all" He looked nervous and uncomfortable so I put down my plate on top of his microwave and sat back down by his feet.

" I can tell your not telling me something and you know you can trust me." I put myhead against his knee because the space on his lap had gotten very small with his stomach talking up all of it.

"When ever I eat or move around a lot I can feel it move when I do and it's kind of …I don't know how to explain it… if you ate a watermelon and that watermelon would kick you in the ribs that's close to how it is." he still was turning away from me but what he said made me really excited.

"Oh Ichigo could I feel it!"

He snapped his head around to look at me as if I asked to borrow his kidney for the weekend. I felt a little stupid for asking but I wanted to feel it. Ihadn't ever known a pregnant person before so this would be my first time feeling a baby move. But Ichigo had never let me see his stomach really so I don't know if would let me touch it. When we are in his room he always sits with a pillow in front of him and when we go for walks he stays behind me like he's afraid I am judging him.

I looked up at him and asked again "Well Ichigo would it be ok? But its alright if you don't want me to really I understand I mea-" he took my hand as he inched the pillow away.

"Just this once so make it quick."

He lifted up his shirt and put my hand on his skin that was silky with tiny red stretch marks covering it. Then I felt it underneath my finger tips. A flutter of movement and life. To feel it with both hands I moved onto my knees and put my face closer to his stomach and I could see a hand push against his skin like he or she were going to wave hello. "Wow" was all I could manage to say and he smiled the first genuine smile I had seen in a long, long time.

"Is it really that amazing to you?" I kept one hand on him as I answered circling it with my index finger.

"Yeah! I know this is something you never really planned on happening to you but think about it this is really cool!" I moved to sit next to him on the couch and lean against my close friend.

"Aizen might have put the baby in there but it's still your baby and you're still its dad Ichigo. Even though it seems impossible the three of us are going to make it home one day soon. You, me and baby are all going to go back to a new crazy wonderful life."

It would be nice if he believed a word I said but he probably didn't. We stayed that way for a couple more minutes till he decided to eat his weight in foodthen had to go to sleep. He still sleeps on his back but I bet he doesn't breathe very well that way with his belly squashing his lungs but watching his stomach go up and down as he breaths is funny. It's a big hill underneath his biggest t-shirt (which still isn't big enough to cover everything) that's plopped right on top of him.

Back in my room I found Nel waiting for me sitting on my lime green rug with her legs crossed. "Hi Miss Hime Nel has been waiting here for you. Nel's got

something real important to tell you .Come sit down." she patted the spot next to her indicating that's where she wanted me to sit so I did "Nel would this

have to do with what Ulquiorra told me about you were getting into trouble with Aizen?" she had bruises on her cheeks but seemed to have recovered more

science I had seen her earlier today. "Nel was only doing what she had to do to try and make Its- Ichigo less mad." She started looking really disappointed

in herself and she fiddled with the hem of her uniform "Nel can never forgive what Nel did to him. So if he hates Nel till he dies that is fine as long as Nel can

help him and you."

I always had the idea that she cared a lot for Ichigo and it showed in how upset she was over him. I remember being in this exact spot when I told her

exactly what she had done. She started crying as she slumped to the floor and the smile she was wearing as she entered my room was covered by her small

slender hands. Doubled over her guilt filled tears ran down her cheeks onto my rug making the color run to a lighter shade of green. At first I thought she

knew what had happened already but when I became she didn't I felt bad for the girl. She isn't like the other Arrancar I can fully believe she has a heart and

Ichigo stomped on it from his feeling of betrayal.

Nel told Orihime how months ago she and Ulquiorra had been planning a way for Orihime and Ichigo to get back to the world of the living through the

barrier. Ulquiorra would sneak glances at Sanzyel's reports while Ichigo was having his operations and yesterday Nel tried to take the files where all the

plans including the Hogyoku and Ichigo's child would be kept but was caught by Sanzel at the last second. She had enough time to read that the barrier

worked both ways of not letting Soul Reapers from the Souls Society or world of the living in but hallows and Arrancar could not leave either without Aizen's

using his zanpato to open a path. In the time Ichigo and Orihime had been gone not a single hallow had been able to leave but Ulquiorra knew enough

about Orihime's power to think that if she was able to get into the room where the barrier comes from she could use Soten Kesuu to weaken it long enough

for them to get through. And because if they waited any longer Ichigo would probably not be able to stand the trip it was necessary for them to leave that

night. Nel left a note where Rukia was bound to find it when she came to get Ichigo's furniture. The note told Rukia and the others exactly what they were

planning and to make sure they all were prepared at anytime for them to make a bumpy entrance at any location between Urahara's shop and the school

because they couldn't be exact about where they would be .The problem though was that Orihime was only allowed out of her room once to see Ichigo so

she couldn't explain things to him and it was unlikely he would believe Ulquiorra so that left Nel ,who reluctantly was left Orihime to go to Ichigo's room.

* * *

~Nel'S POV~

Nel stood outside Ichigo's door with her hand inches away from the door like she had done many times before but just couldn't knock. Ichigo had been the

first person she had felt this way about. A feeling of pure longing to be with that person no matter what and feel pain that for once wasn't physical but that

hurt just the same when she saw he was in pain. She had to push her self but she opened the door and stood with confidence as she looked into the brown

eyes she felt so much affection for but was returned with one of hatred. She is much more mature, composed, logical, sophisticated, and intelligent than her

child form but she choose to use the personality Ichigo had meet her in to keep their relationship the same but now she was reliving that it changed all on

its own from the moment they meet and she brought him to Las Noches. He felt betrayed by her but didn't care she hadn't known she was doing it at the

time but all of that had no significance right now. She had to get him ready to leave whether she forced him to go or he was willing to listen.

"Get your things together we are leaving right now." Ichigo frowned "Who do you think you are all of the sudden barging in here acting like you're my fucking

mother?" Nel walked in and started bagging his things "I said we are leaving and if you don't get up and move yourself I will pick you up and make you move

Ichigo Kurosaki." He stood up from his bed and saw her eyes look directly into his as she moved inches from his person "I will not repeat my self Ichigo I am

trying to get you out of Las Noches and if you want to go home it is best that you trust me." It was hard for him to get past the fact she wasn't lisping or

saying Nel when referring to herself. She was serious and called him by his full name again ordering him to do as she instructed "Why should I trust you? I

get that you didn't mean for this to happen to me but it did because of you and I don't think I can get past that. I protected you Nel and stopped thinking of

you as the enemy and ended up getting stabbed in the back."

He isn't listing to me and we are running out of time. There are so many things I wish to tell him but with him hating me so much I'll never get through his

stubborn head. She put her arms around his neck hugging him in the small moon light room feeling his stomach pressed between them. This may be the last

opportunity I have to pour my heart out to him and hopefully he will understand and leave this world behind.

"I appreciate all of what you've done for me Ichigo. You're my first friend for me to have in my life but I've found out things about you that have made me

want nothing more than to be with you forever and always. The way you're so compassionate or how you wish for strength to protect those close to you are

just two on my list. But I'm not sure that the relationship I wish for can ever be true. It may be that you are a Soul Reaper but you will always be a human

and what you are and what I am are never meant to be connected." She chocked her tears back not wanting their separation to be remembered as a sad

moment but instead as a new beginning that started there in Las Noches.

"I would give everything I have to create that connection. So if I there is nothing I can ever do for you at least this one time allow me to protect you, the only

person I can say I loved with all my heart." She could feel Ichigo's heart beat a bit faster and she pulled him closer placing her head beneath his chin "I don't

know why I'm so powerless to you but I am and I don't know how I fell in love this way but I cant escape and I don't want to Ichigo so whether you can ever

tell me I'm forgiven and mean it or not I still-Wait no I am still IN love with you. So please please leave me so the holes in my heart from your departure will

be better than knowing our baby is being used for something evil."

Ichigo had been standing with Nel draped around his neck with his arms hanging at his sides useless. They just swung by his sides not knowing if they

should hold her tightly back or push her away. No one had ever said they were in love with him till now. Sure his friends and family had told him they loved

him like the time he saved up to buy his sister Yuzu a doll she had been looking at for months and Karin a new soccer ball endorsed by her favorite player.

Nel said she was in love with him though which a different version of love was. It meant she didn't care he was easy to anger , sometimes hurtfully

outspoken or impulsive. In fact she was saying she adored all the negative things that came with being with him. But it donned on him what she said last

and he took her by the shoulders making her release him from her grip "Whoa what do you mean OUR baby?" Nel looked confused "Oops did Nel forget to

say that earlier Itsygo?" She smiled a big awkward smile realizing she had forgotten all this time to give him this important information. She started stroking

his orange hair as he put his head on her shoulder and laughed a little bit " What the hell is wrong with you ?You have to be the most childish ,air headed,

crazy girl I've ever meet you know that?" She kept stroking his hair happier than she thought was possible for a solider of Aizen's army "Nel knew you were

in love with her!"

* * *

I tried a love scene sorta thing so if it was chessey or something Im sorry but thanks for reading and remember comment comment comment please!


	5. The Get Away

Nell smiled for a little while longer baring her larger than average incisors and was happy to know that Ichigo was done being mad at her. Her wavy blue-green hair was smooth and still smelled of Ichigo's sister's perfume as he returned her hug and brought her as close as possible. But she quickly returned to her serious demeanor as she unraveled herself from his embrace and continued to go around the room filling a messenger bag with the belongings she knew were the most important to Ichigo, such as his photo album and left other thing such as his clothes behind. Ichigo stood out of her way and tried to steady his nerves. He had just had such an intimate moment with Nell and now she was leading him in an escape. His face settled back into his signature scowl and gripped at his stomach. Thoughts of what would happen when he went back to Karakura Town returned but were interrupted when Nell flung the tan messenger bag over his shoulder and motioned with her hand to be silent before forcefully taking Ichigo's hand and leading him down a flight of stairs he had never noticed before. He stumbled but did his best not to slow Nell down as he held her hand and paid close attention to her movements and signals.

They had gone down five flights of stairs and had almost bumped into over a dozen Arrancar already. Nell's eyes were narrowed and her steps were light as she kept one hand on her zanpato, ready to draw it in case of a fight.

"Almost there, how are you doing Ichigo?" She looked back at Ichigo who tried to quiet his heavy breathing as he quickly nodded his head and they continued again. It was another seven flights of stairs before they stopped again and this time Nell had lead them both to a corridor with only one dim light at the very end beside a shabby wooden door.

"This is it Ichigo. If I timed this all right Ulquiorra and Orihime should be on the other side of that door with your zanpato and a gateway back home already open. It connects to the same gateway that lead you to hueco Mundo so someone you know should be around."

There was a distant sound of heavy footsteps running around franticly above them. It shock the dingy, half crumbling walls that surrounded them and Ichigo saw a flicker of panic appear in Nell's large hazel eyes before she turned away from him. He yanked her arm back when she started walking away.

"Ichigo what are you doing? You have to go now or you and Orihime won't make it! Come on!"

"Are you not coming with me?" Ichigo looked down at the innocent face covered in a large scar that seemed so perfect even in such terrible lighting .She was the mother of the life that was growing inside of him and he could not leave her behind. If he was leaving so was she.

"Ichigo I want to go with you. I told you how I would give anything to be able to make a life with you but you and I were never meant to cross paths. You are a human and I am a monster and we each belong to our own worlds." The rumbling of footsteps started getting louder and Nell rushed the rest of what she had to say. "Ulquiorra and I plan to guide the both of you as far as we possibly can but if we have to stop to do battle I want you to continue with Orihime and not look back. If I make it back to the human world than so be it but if it doesn't work out that way go on and leave me behind and do not look back even for a second!" Nell put on a tough face as she looked up at Ichigo's and lightly put a slender hand to his stomach as he covered hers with his own larger one.

She clamped onto Ichigo's hand tighter than before and ran to the door and flung it open where Orihime stood besides a huge gapping vortex that opened into a black void. Orihime had Zangetsu strapped to her back but struggled to support the weight of the large sword but the instant she saw Ichigo's spiky orange hair make it past the doorway she took his hand from Nell and broke into a sprint into the darkness. All Ichigo could see at first was the back of Orihime's waist length burnt orange hair tailing behind her and then he couldn't see anything at all. The darkness had sucked every ounce of light away and the cold felt like it was sucking the life force from him but he continued to run right after Orihime, only being able to feel the sweat coming from the palm of her freezing hand and not really being able to sense much more than that.

Behind them Ichigo could hear the sound of fighting and a voice that might of belonged to Ulqiorra but he couldn't be sure. They kept running to the point where his lungs felt on fire and his legs felt like they were at the point of giving out. The sound of the fighting seemed to be closing in and he clenched onto Orihime's hand and did all he could to go faster. The clashing of metal to metal and the screams of fallen Arrancar echoed in the void and made the whole experience feel like a nightmare. The smell of blood was heavy in the frostbitten air and as Ichigo and Orihime drew in deep heavy breaths they could taste the sent of blood in their mouths. Then there was a distant dim light like a small beckon ahead. It seemed so far away but as the spiritual pressure of those following them closed in they had to continue until Orihime gave out a loud scream and fell to the damp ground.

"Orihime!" Ichigo was still holding onto her hand and had to us it to find her on the ground. "Orihime what's wrong!" His hand slipped into a small pool of something wet and warm and realized it was his friend's blood. A stray attack from behind had hit her and she was loosing blood quickly.

"We are so close I won't let you down now." He felt her rise to her feet and pull him into a last minute dash towards the light. The noises from behind sounded louder and more angry as they were only a few feet away from the exit when suddenly they both felt hands on their backs that snatched them up into the air by Ichigo's zanpato and him by the tan messenger bag and flung them with incredible strength towards the light. They both hit the ground and tumbled a few feet from the hole floating in mid-air below Urahara's shop and then Ichigo's eye's lost the ability to focus. He felt around for Orihime's hand again and was not able to find it and felt lost then things went dark.

**Orihime's POV**

I can't get up, my side is bleeding so much I can't hold my self together much longer but I can't let my guard down. The arrancar are still coming, I can still hear the fighting edging closer and the enemies spiritual power. I gripped onto the red strap of Zangetsu as I squinted to try and see where Ichigo had landed. I could make out an unfocused blob of orange hair but the rest of his body I could tell was lying still on its side. I know he is weak but I couldn't even get my body to move to comfort him my arms felt heavy and my tongue was dry like sandpaper. I couldn't call out for help. Looking down at the white clothing I was given to wear the entire side, spilling down to my legs was red with blood.

" Santen Kesshun" Calling out my incantation was the least I could do, I have to protect Ichigo I promised Nell I would. I may not be strong but the least I can do is help Ichigo. He has been there to protect me so many times if I give up on him now I could never forgive myself! Hinagiku,Lily and Baigon formed into my triangular shield around Ichigo's still body Then I saw the opening in front of me getting smaller and smaller, where was Ulqiorra and Nell the gate would be closing and there is no way for me to keep it open.

"Come on, come on, come on, please." I crossed my fingers then saw a mass of bodies hurdling towards the opening. "Koten Zanshun" I summoned Tsubaki who has the ability to break through the enemy, put up a shield inside, and repel the combined substance, thus splitting the enemy in two. I couldn't tell if it was an enemy or not so I had to be prepared. I generally dislike combat but Ichigo is depending on me. A flash of white came flying out of the void and I felt the familiar pressure that belonged to Ulquiorra and began using Tsubaki on the others following him until the void closed and I passed out hitting my face in the dirt. This is all going to hurt tomorrow. Ow.


	6. Forgetful

**Ichigo's POV**

I sat up with a jolt , my vision was unfocused and my surroundings were unfamiliar. Looking around the room it's small and undecorated but the window at my side is letting enough sunlight in to fill the room. For the first time in a while my skin feels warm. Outside I can see grass and buildings, not the never-ending white sand with dunes like I was in the middle of the Sahara. I had the urge to open the window and stick my head out so I did. The sun and the breeze are warm and the air smells fresher than I remember. The moon is beautiful and all in Las Noches but it cant win against sunlight.

Katakura Town is nothing special just a typical city like any other in the Human World but being homesick as long as I have makes me feel like there couldn't be a better place on the planet. I can only assume that I am somewhere in Urahara's shop so I relaxed back onto the cushy futon someone had laid me on.

It's weird but my first thought when I woke up wasn't anything like if we actually made it or not or if I had even been hurt when I smacked into the ground. I cared the most about who might have seen me looking the way I do. If it was Renji or even Rukia I can't imagine how funny they would think this all is. Then I felt a lot of movement in my gut like the thing inside knew I was making a mean comment about it to myself which mad it angry and I rubbed my stomach in failed hopes of calming it down.

"Come on , don't do that. You're bumping into my ribs."

I continued to lay there stroking my hard stomach and listening to all the sounds coming through the window. Bicycles, birds, and people going about their business. Such simple parts of life that I didn't relies how much I had missed till now. For so long my only company in moments like this were Orihime or Nell. I wonder if Nell even made it to the Land of The Living? The last thing I remember is being tossed like a sack of potatoes with and smacking hard onto the ground. I was completely out after that.

The door creaked open and I was happy to see Orihime's smile. "Ichigo you're up! Are you ok? Does anything hurt? You hit the ground pretty hard when we came through to this side of the gate and I was worried." She came through the door and I sat up to received a gentle hug from her.

"I'm fine, everything is all good with me but what a bout you? You were bleeding."

"Oh, don't worry about that , Yoruichi patched me up and now I am back to being one-hundred percent!" she flexed the little bit of muscle she has and I rolled my eyes. Dork.

"So ,Yoruichi is here?"

"Yep. Urahara, Renji, Chad ,Rukia, , basically everyone. Even and Nell. They made it just in time but Nell needs more rest for now, she fought hard and needs more time to recuperate and heal the injuries she sustained. But Urahara found us not long after we made it back and called everyone over since he figured out what was going on."

"Hmmm…everyone." her brown eyes caught mine when I tried to look away.

"Ichigo nobody other than Urahara and I have seen you if that's what your worried about."

I sighed and felt really stupid but I cant stand the idea of anyone, even my friends looking at me. Just the thought that even Urahara saw me makes my skin feel uncomfortable and tight. The thing inside me started squirming around but faster this time and it made me feel sea sick. It doesn't like for me to think negative thoughts like that, it must be a quality it got from Nell, but I can't help it. What has happened to me is unnatural. I am a freak. If I thought being a substitute soul reaper was life altering then this really takes the cake.

"Ichigo things are going to be alright. The others will not judge you, I explained what happened in Hueco Mundo and even though they all are still a bit confused they just are happy to have us back."

She came closer and laid down on the futon with me. She was wearing a set of yellow silk pajamas and cuddled next to me. It reminded me of how I use to do this with my little sisters when they got scared at night. They would sneak into my room every once in a while when there was a big storm or the trees outside were making creepy noises. Karin would deny it but she still does it now even though she is in middle school. I don't mind but I wonder if either of them would still do it with my stomach stretched out like this and finding out all the secrets I have been hiding about being apart of the Soul Society. What would Dad think? I doubt even he is open minded enough to swallow the fact his only son is pregnant with an Arrancar's child. That sounds like an episode from a crazy Star Trek episode or something.

"All of us have been through so much together Ichigo. We all have made bonds with one another that are so strong. Look at you and me. When we were kids we never could have imagined our lives to be the way they are but that didn't stop it from happening. I still remember the day you let me cry in your arms when my brother died and I remember the first time you rescued me with your powers just as well. This is our life and we just have to stumble and trip along the path given." She slipped her hand into mine and nuzzled her face into my shoulder like Yuzu would.

I am always surprised how insightful Orihime actually can be about the world. She comes off naïve and clueless but she is really smart and I was comforted by her words and just laid quietly and continued to listen to the sounds outside. Maybe soon I would be able to suck it up and stand in front of Rukia and the others with my gut extended and awkward. Maybe I could take the laughter I knew was coming without completely losing it but just not today. Today I could only stand enough to sleep and be with Orihime who has been a true friend,

**Orihime's POV**

It was not long before Ichigo feel back asleep. I could see in his eyes he was still tired but I hope soon he will find the courage to come out from this room. I cant imagine how scared he is to let the others see him it was just recently when he let me see his stomach. I patted his stomach and smiled I know things will turn out alright, I just want things to get better so badly.

Now came the hard part of the day I was going to have to go and check on Nell. She and Ulquiorra are in a room closer to everyone so they can be monitored. I usually tip toe past the rest of them because they question how safe I am continuing to talk to them, well I guess only Ulquiorra. Nell was injured worse than I told Ichigo she was, I didn't want him to worry but she hasn't woken up since we came and isn't breathing well. She got hit in the head hard enough that it broke a few teeth from her mask and has a fever. Ulquiorra told me she instructed for him to follow closer behind me and Ichigo ,so she did a majority of the fighting and was planning more on sacrificing herself to insure we stayed safe as long as we had Ulquiorra. I had to spend a few hours healing her just to get her stable and Yoruichi told me not to have high hopes of her pulling through because of the damage to her skull but I wont accept that. She has to pull though for Ichigo!

I had made myself tear up by the time I had snuck past everyone and had to wipe my eyes before I quietly entered Nell's room. There are no windows so besides the one lamp sitting one a plain nightstand there isn't very much light and it is cramped. Nell was still laying almost lifeless on her futon in a pair of pajamas just like mine except purple. She was taking shallow breaths that seemed painful each time she would inhale.

"Her fever has resided." Ulquiorra was sitting in the wicker chair I had brought him, everyone else was treating him like a prisoner so I at least wanted him to have a comfortable place to sit. " Has our fate been decided?"

"No, they cant agree on what should be done. On one hand the both of you are Arrancar so you should be the enemy but then again you freed us. And the same barrier that was keeping Ichigo and I in Hueco Mundo keeps them for sending you back with out another gate because it works from both sides and Urahara destroyed his. You also mentioned Aizen set if to last for over a year and there's no way of changing it." I leaned against the wall besides Nell's futon and stroked her hair.

"We are the enemy. Its ridiculous to think of us as anything else." His green eyes cut through the dim light as he looked directly into my eyes as he said this. But over time I have become less fearful of Ulquiorra and I was able to respond better to his coldness.

"Then why did you help me? You could have turned Nell down when she told you about her plan , but you didn't. You risked your life for me. What type of enemy would do something like that?" I stopped stroking Nell's hair and just looked back at Ulquiorra. His face was unreadable and the paleness of his skin just made his eyes stand out even more.

"Well, why would you help me? Why didn't you turn us in to Aizen when you had the chance huh?"

"I… do not know." For the first time I saw him give a little emotion, confusion .Then he turned his gaze away from me to Nell as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Nell, Nell, how do you feel?" I said this in the softest tone I could as she blinked a few times at me.

"Umm, and who would you be?"

"W-what! What do you mean who am I? Nell it's me, Orihime, are you alright?" I couldn't believe this.

"It's nice to meet you Orihime but Nell doesn't think she knows who you are. Actually Nell's not to sure she remembers a lot of stuff cuz she doesn't even think she knows where she is." She looked completely lost and then jumped up from the futon and went walking straight into the others discussion.

"Nell no!" I followed after her and everyone was already standing defensively as she stood innocently in front of all of them

She lean back and whispered in my ear. "Nell is confused. Why are lots of these people wearing black pajamas with swords?"


End file.
